Saved by the Kalehttp://savedbythekale.com
Healthy living is Happy livingMon, 17 Apr 2017 11:43:28 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.1SavedByTheKalehttps://feedburner.google.comHealthier Alternatives to Store Bought Spice Blendshttp://savedbythekale.com/healthier-alternatives-store-bought-spice-blends/
http://savedbythekale.com/healthier-alternatives-store-bought-spice-blends/#respondMon, 17 Apr 2017 09:39:24 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2920When you cook as much as we do you’re always looking to try new things, whether it’s seasonings, marinades, or methods. You are always looking for ways to take a tried and true recipe and change it up a bit so things don’t get boring. I know we get in ruts sometimes and when this happens...

]]>When you cook as much as we do you’re always looking to try new things, whether it’s seasonings, marinades, or methods. You are always looking for ways to take a tried and true recipe and change it up a bit so things don’t get boring. I know we get in ruts sometimes and when this happens one of the first things we look at is the seasonings we are using.

Of course, you can just go to the store and grab a bottle of some massed produced seasoning, but then you are are at the mercy of that manufacturer when it comes to ingredients and quality. It could have MSG and who knows what else in there.

What we like to do is make our own spice blends using the best quality ingredients we can find and store them to use for the next few months.

Spicy SPG (Salt – Pepper – Garlic)

SPG is a fairly common seasoning mix. It forms the basis for a lot of the house spice or house seasonings out there. Our take is a little different because it’s quite spicy. It’s got the black pepper bite you usually see with SPG with a pronounced fiery hit from the toasted chilis.

Toast the coriander seeds and the chilis over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

Combine the toasted chilies and coriander in a mortar and pestle with the remaining ingredients. Grind until fine and uniform in appearance. A spice grinder works fine as well.

Transfer to a spice container for storage.

By Saved by the Kale

Saved by the Kale http://savedbythekale.com/

Spicy SPG is great on anything that needs a little extra zip. Works great on grilled meats, veggies, and especially french fries.

2 Other Superstar Seasonings

One of our all-time favorite spice blends is Emeril’s Essence Creole Seasnoning. It’s the Cajun seasoning by which all others are judged. We use it on sautéed chicken and fish multiple times a week.

This is one that we’ve mentioned a few times before, but the Hot and Numbing Wing Spice from Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats is amazing. It’s the perfect wing spice. Put this on crispy wings and I can’t get enough.

Storage

If you are going to take the time and effort to make your own homemade spices then you are going to want to make sure they stay fresh as long as possible.

That is why we use these glass jars from Infinity Jars for proper storage. They are air proof, light proof, and will keep your spices fresh for many months.

Just look at this example they have on their website.

2 Month Chive Test

This is a lab test comparing effectiveness at storing chives in (from L to R) the Infinity Jar ultraviolet screwtop jar, an amber screwtop jar, and a clear glass jar. Infinity Jar clearly out-performed the other jars by keeping the chives green and fresh. Chives are among the most fragile and easily perishable herbs you can find at a grocery store. Much like your lotions, essential oils and other products, improper protection against visible light, as seen in the amber and clear glass, will lead to a fast decomposition and degradation.

What initially drew my attention to these screw top jars was the beautiful, dark violet glass and the sleek design. The deep violet color looks great and is the secret to the their impressive preservation capability. It blocks out harmful light rays that degrade organic matter, while allowing two beneficial light rays that are laboratory proven to preserve and extend shelf life for up to 2 years! You won’t find that at your grocery store!

What are your favorite spice blends and how do you like to store them?

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/healthier-alternatives-store-bought-spice-blends/feed/0Coffee Without All The Junkhttp://savedbythekale.com/coffee-without-junk/
http://savedbythekale.com/coffee-without-junk/#respondWed, 25 Jan 2017 10:01:41 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2917My coffee has evolved over the years. I use to brew my coffee, sweeten it with sugar or sometimes artificial sweeteners (I know, yikes!) then add french vanilla creamer to it. Then I couple of years ago I decided to try a different route. I started making my own cold brew. I would blend that...

My coffee has evolved over the years. I use to brew my coffee, sweeten it with sugar or sometimes artificial sweeteners (I know, yikes!) then add french vanilla creamer to it.

Then I couple of years ago I decided to try a different route. I started making my own cold brew. I would blend that with a couple of dates, a tbsp of coconut oil, and coconut milk. This was high maintenance as it required a blender. I also wasn’t happy with consuming all the sugars from the dates so early in the morning.

So for the last year I have been drinking my coffee like this: my cold brew, coconut water (I like to use a high quality one like Harmless Harvest), and my homemade coconut milk. I never measure it out. I just pour some coconut water in, then coconut milk and then fill up the rest of my glass with cold brew. It’s completely customizable and delicious. The coconut water adds sweetness, the milk makes it creamy and the cold brew is smooth and strong. It’s dairy free, gluten free, soy free and sugar free. It’s how I start every day!

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/coffee-without-junk/feed/0Panang Chicken Curryhttp://savedbythekale.com/panang-chicken-curry/
http://savedbythekale.com/panang-chicken-curry/#respondWed, 11 Jan 2017 10:33:02 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2910I love Thai food, it’s full of flavor and never boring. I’ve never had a Thai dish that I didn’t like. Over the last couple of years I have realized the importance of knowing the ingredients that goes into my food. When it comes to sauces and oils at restaurants it can be a crapshoot....

I love Thai food, it’s full of flavor and never boring. I’ve never had a Thai dish that I didn’t like. Over the last couple of years I have realized the importance of knowing the ingredients that goes into my food.

When it comes to sauces and oils at restaurants it can be a crapshoot. It is amazing where they can slip in soy, gluten, dairy, and sugar in places you wouldn’t even think to look. Because of this we cook the majority of our food at home. This year we decided we wanted to learn to make curry. We did some research and decided to purchase this curry paste (affiliate link). I carefully checked the ingredients and knew what they all were. It didn’t have any of the things that I try to stay away from. We purchased it and a few days later we were on our way to having delicious Panang Curry.

We chose to make it with chicken but you could use any kind of protein you like. Beef, Shrimp, or even just vegetables would be great! This is completely customizable you could add any vegetables you like. We chose to use onions, snow peas, carrots, squash, and broccoli.

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/panang-chicken-curry/feed/0What I Want My Life To Look Like In 2017http://savedbythekale.com/want-life-look-like-2017/
http://savedbythekale.com/want-life-look-like-2017/#commentsThu, 05 Jan 2017 10:33:49 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2892As I am staring 2017 straight in the face I’m really not sure what it will hold or what I will bring to it. I feel like I am at such a crossroads in my life. I can see what I want it to look like, I’m just not sure how to get there, or...

As I am staring 2017 straight in the face I’m really not sure what it will hold or what I will bring to it. I feel like I am at such a crossroads in my life. I can see what I want it to look like, I’m just not sure how to get there, or maybe how best to get there. There is a part of me that just wants to run off to an island, totally isolated, not worrying about all the trivial things that sometimes preoccupy so much of my mind. Would that work, would all my troubles disappear…probably not, but it’s a nice thought sometimes. So what can I do…

A Year of Simple Living

I do know that I want to structure my life in a way where I actually enjoy whatever it is that I am doing. I want to be present and focused. I want to develop a habit of staying in the moment. I want to wake up every morning and feel grateful for another day.

I want to look whoever I am talking to in the eye and give them my full attention instead of worrying about all the other things I “need” to be doing. I don’t want to be thinking about how I am going to answer them, I want to just listen. How nice would that be?

I want to focus on single-tasking instead of multi-tasking. Multi-tasking leads to stress, it divides our focus and causes us to lose the ability to live in the moment.

I want to appreciate nature. I want to look at the sky, watch the squirrel look for a nut it buried last month. Stop and listen to the wind, feel it on my skin.

I want to slow down and savor my food, you know actually sit down and eat it instead of standing at the counter cleaning up the dishes while I’m trying to eat my lunch. I want to taste it, really taste it. I want to be mindful of my food, where and how I am eating it.

I want to live a better quality of life with less stress. Life can be so much more than just getting through another day. Life can be an amazing adventure.

I think this quote by Abraham Lincoln sums it up best. “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

ThinkGrowProsper

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/happy-new-year/feed/2January Goalshttp://savedbythekale.com/january-goals/
http://savedbythekale.com/january-goals/#respondWed, 28 Dec 2016 13:56:29 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2884Hey guys, I’m back to talk about what my goals are for January and to take a look and see how I did with the goals I set for myself for the month of December. I’m hoping this will be a way to help keep myself accountable for some small and big improvements in my...

]]>Hey guys, I’m back to talk about what my goals are for January and to take a look and see how I did with the goals I set for myself for the month of December. I’m hoping this will be a way to help keep myself accountable for some small and big improvements in my life.

In December I wanted to….

Keep posting on the blog twice a week. This I have done or at least I will have done once I do my last post for this week.

Read 2 books I read one book.Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna Kendrick’s memoir and it is fantastic!

Plan a weekend trip for just Jim and I, or at the very least a date night No weekend trip for just Jim and I but we did have a date night and a date day

Pack minimally for an overnight trip Yay! I might be most proud of this! I packed all of mine and Jim’s stuff in one carry on suitcase!

Plan our New Year’s Eve Party Done! and I can’t wait for Saturday night!

Practice not looking at my phone when I first get up in the mornings. I’ve done so so with this. Some mornings I’ve not looked at it and others I have.

Continue to say NO to things that do not make me happy or add value to my life. Check, this I have done!

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/january-goals/feed/0Grateful Friday #14 – There is Always a Reason to Smilehttp://savedbythekale.com/grateful-friday-14-always-reason-smile/
http://savedbythekale.com/grateful-friday-14-always-reason-smile/#respondFri, 23 Dec 2016 10:10:26 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2880Even when life isn’t going the best there are still moments that lighten the mood, make us smile, and bring happiness to our lives. Here are a few of those things for me this week : The Girl’s Gingerbread House The Occasional Starbucks Drink This Song Have a lovely weekend and Merry Christmas!

The Girl’s Gingerbread House

The Occasional Starbucks Drink

This Song

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/grateful-friday-14-always-reason-smile/feed/0Not Really Feeling Ithttp://savedbythekale.com/not-really-feeling/
http://savedbythekale.com/not-really-feeling/#respondTue, 20 Dec 2016 12:33:24 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2877I really do not feel like posting this week and I know that I don’t have to, but I set a goal for myself and I would like to stick to it. So here I am….I showed up. I’m not feeling great this week. I know one of the best things you can do when...

]]>I really do not feel like posting this week and I know that I don’t have to, but I set a goal for myself and I would like to stick to it. So here I am….I showed up. I’m not feeling great this week. I know one of the best things you can do when you are feeling down is to do for others. So, I will spend the morning in the kitchen baking breads for people.

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/not-really-feeling/feed/0The Choices You Make When Life Gets Toughhttp://savedbythekale.com/choices-make-life-gets-tough/
http://savedbythekale.com/choices-make-life-gets-tough/#respondThu, 15 Dec 2016 10:32:34 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=2873Have you ever met someone that seems to make life so hard for themselves? It’s like they are actively trying to see just how bad they can screw up. I don’t think that anyone would consciously make the decision to sabatoge their life but I do it to myself time and time again. You would...

]]>Have you ever met someone that seems to make life so hard for themselves? It’s like they are actively trying to see just how bad they can screw up. I don’t think that anyone would consciously make the decision to sabatoge their life but I do it to myself time and time again. You would think that at some point I would learn a lesson and decide “Hey maybe just maybe I should take a different path”. It’s a horrible cycle, but I have to believe that it can be broken. If you don’t have hope then you have nothing.

When things go terribly wrong you have 2 choices….

You can wallow in your mistakes, you can be a victim, you can beat yourself up, you can give up and decide that nothing really matters.

or

You can decide that those choices will not define you. That you can get past it. It may not be easy, it may take a long time but you can move forward one hour at a time. Then one day at a time until maybe one day it doesn’t take up so much space in your mind and in your life. You can decide to be the best YOU that you can be. You can refocus your attention on things that will bring you closer to the person that you know you are. You can remind yourself to never give up on YOU. You have to fight for yourself, you have to believe in yourself. You have to move forward even if you are not sure how… I really believe that ability to move forward is the defining difference. The difference between letting something crush you or make you stronger. I want to choose the later.

]]>http://savedbythekale.com/choices-make-life-gets-tough/feed/0My Favorite Podcasts about Minimalism and Intentional Livinghttp://savedbythekale.com/favorite-podcasts-minimalism-intentional-living/
http://savedbythekale.com/favorite-podcasts-minimalism-intentional-living/#commentsMon, 12 Dec 2016 10:00:22 +0000http://savedbythekale.com/?p=28392016 is the year that I fell in love with podcasts. I cannot even express how much value these podcasts have added to my life. If I am doing a mindless task around the house or in the car by myself I am most likely listening to one of my favorite podcasters! You know what...

2016 is the year that I fell in love with podcasts. I cannot even express how much value these podcasts have added to my life. If I am doing a mindless task around the house or in the car by myself I am most likely listening to one of my favorite podcasters! You know what it is awesome, when you find a new to you podcast and there is like 100 episodes, binge binge binge! I really don’t know what I would do without these, they truly bring me so much joy. It’s my hope that these handful of podcasters keep doing what they do for many years to come!

The Simple Show is a podcast where we explore unconventional ways of living and making the most out of things like work, travel, and family. I talk shop with other people about what that looks like for them—food, travel, writing, books, parenting, work, fashion, and everything in between.

The Live Immediately Podcast is where I have conversations with people who inspire me, who have taught me something, who have helped me grow and who are living life on their own terms. We dive into those big moments that have pushed them through the fears and self-limiting beliefs that hold so many of us back.

So, if you are at all interested in living more mindfully or slowing down and doing the things that you truly love then I highly recommend any and all of these. Do yourself a favor and listen, it could change your life and the way you see the world.